Yet, Dan Cleary has more points than Val Filppula in the playoffs. Filppula has been completely invisible besides two plays against Anaheim. Not sure the goal in Game 7 really qualifies as sick either. Z made the play entirely and Fil threw a backhander on net.

Flip wasn't invisible. Don't you remember the backhand pass to no one behind his own net that led to a goal?

Not claiming to be a doctor nor have I played one on TV....but how can Drew Miller break his hand and is now playing in the game and Dekeyser broke his thumb and cannot play? Just curios, nothing against either of them....

Go Wings!

Depends on the severity of the break, which bone was broken, if there was other damage to ligaments or tendons...Also, the thumb is necessary to grip the stick. Hard to play if you can't hold a stick.

Seriously, I was just thinking "I haven't heard Smith's name this period and that's a good thing", and then he pops up with a goal on a great feed from Z.

Great road period, need to keep up the pressure in the 3rd and not sit back.

"If I can be totally honest, it's not a lot of guys you get impressed by. Actually, it's no one else but him. From the bench, to see what move he makes -- you're like, 'I wish I could do that.' Sometimes you sit on the bench and just think, 'wow,' and you look over to the other bench and they sit there and shake their heads, too. He has great, great skills. I'm probably not going to play with another player who has the kind of skills he has." Mikael Samuelsson on Pavel Datsyuk

Flip wasn't invisible. Don't you remember the backhand pass to no one behind his own net that led to a goal?

Based on your logic, it's the player who should have been there's fault, not Flip's. It isn't like Flip hasn't gotten his fair share of well deserved criticism. He's not a measuring stick for Cleary. They are two different players. Cleary has been dreadful for the past two seasons. He's been given ample time with the top players, on the PP and in crucial situations and has been noticably unproductive. I thank him for his prior service, and in his prime, he was a vital asset to the Wings. But age and injuries have rendered him completely ineffective. I sincerely hope he is not re-signed this offseason.

seeing the word redemption so many times after that 2nd goal makes me want to throw up a little. i am eternally grateful that smith put that goal in, but he had a wide open net to shoot at and it was zetterberg that made the play and filppula driving the net taking the attention that allowed it to happen. smith was in the right place at the right time, that doesn't make up for the many boneheaded plays he has made in the last 2 games. he needs to be out there generating chances before his negatives can be overlooked.

on a related note, many keep whining that cleary gets hated on but filppula doesnt. the reason is that while neither have been particularly successful in the playoffs, cleary actively ruins plays while flip ends up doing his job. neither are making things happen, but cleary actually stops things from happening many times. cleary ends up getting points when others do the hard work, so the numbers show that cleart isnt as terrible as his play indicates.

I love Maltby, but to say he wasn't a ****** is a dis-service to his career of douchebaggery.

Based on your logic, it's the player who should have been there's fault, not Flip's. It isn't like Flip hasn't gotten his fair share of well deserved criticism. He's not a measuring stick for Cleary. They are two different players. Cleary has been dreadful for the past two seasons. He's been given ample time with the top players, on the PP and in crucial situations and has been noticably unproductive. I thank him for his prior service, and in his prime, he was a vital asset to the Wings. But age and injuries have rendered him completely ineffective. I sincerely hope he is not re-signed this offseason.

Nice strawman.

I'm not using Flip as a measuring stick for Cleary. Frankly the expectations for Flip should be higher.

If we're talking about re-signing Cleary for next season, that's a different conversation. I'm not saying Cleary is a great player. Just that Cleary bashing has reached the level of sport here, in the same way it had about Ericsson and many other scapegoats before him.